Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Bleeck, Arthur Henry
BLEECK, ARTHUR HENRY (1827?–1877), orientalist, was for some time in the British Museum, where his remarkable linguistic capacity rendered him very useful. He afterwards went out to the East during the Crimean war, and until the conclusion of peace held a post in connection with the land transport corps at Sinope. Being refused readmission to the British Museum on his return to England, he worked for several years for Mr. Muncherjee Hormusjee Cana, who employed him to prepare an English version of the 'Avesta.' He died in January 1877.
His works are: 1. 'A Practical Grammar of the Turkish Language, with dialogues and vocabulary' (in conjunction with W. Burckhardt Barker), London, 1854, 8vo. 2. 'A concise Grammar of the Persian Language, containing dialogues, reading lessons and a vocubulary: together with a new Plan for facilitating the Study of Languages, and specimens in Arabic, Armenian, Bengálí, Greek, Georgian, Hindústání, Hebrew, Latin, Persian, Russian, Sanskrit, Swedish, Syriac, and Turkish,' London, 1857, 8vo. 3. 'Catalogue of the Napoleon Library in the possession of Mr. Joshua Bates,' London, privately printed (1858), 8vo. 4. 'Avesta: the religious books of the Parsees; from Professor Spiegel's German translation of the original manuscripts, 3 vols., London, 1864, 8vo.
[Athenaum, 3 Feb. 1877; Cat. of Printed Books in Brit. Mus.]